


Perfect Memory

by Kageriah



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Might be more later - Freeform, i dunno, one chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 21:12:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kageriah/pseuds/Kageriah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every story has a beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect Memory

The first time he sees young Lily, Severus thinks he's seen heaven. They're both young, almost too young to remember, but he keeps his memories of her fresh.

He's perched on the creaky little chair that sits in his room on the second floor of his house. It's pushed against the wall so he can see the window. He always stares out the window after another of his parent's fights. Usually, he just sees the cobbled street and dull neighborhood down the road. He might gaze at the birds nesting in the trees. But today he sees two little girls playing on the road. It's not unusual; he knows those two muggle girls and their parents moved into a house a little way down the street. One has ordinary yellow hair and a prissy gait. The other, though, plays around her sister, skipping happily and laughing and swaying that  _beautiful_ red hair. His heart jolts and he leans out the window a little more to watch her. His green shirt stretches a little so he avoids hitting the windowsill. Green is his favorite color and this is the only green shirt he has. He doesn't want to ruin it, even though it would be worth it to see the girl with the red hair for one more second.

"Lily!" says the blonde as the red haired girl gallops ahead—closer to his house, closer to  _him_ —of her. "Slow down! Mum and dad told me to watch you and if you go any further, I won't see you."

"Come  _on_ , Petunia! You're only saying that because you're  _old_  now! Before your birthday, you would have been playing with me," she whines. Her voice, even when she pouts, is music to his ears and he decides that he wants to hear it for the rest of his life.

Petunia grunts in a "ladylike" manner before replying, "I'm older and more mature than you now, Lily. I'm not going to play your immature games when I should be helping mother with the chores in our house. Not that you would understand."

"I don't understand because it's stupid!" little Lily shouts as she twirls around with her arms and skirts flung all around her. "Are you going to be marrying yourself off to some fat, rich man soon, then? Because that's what mama said grownups do."

"I'm not going to go marrying anyone! And I never said I was a grownup. I said I am more mature than you. I'm not even old enough to marry," she spits as she crosses her arms and they pass the house next to Severus' neighbors.

"I know  _that!_ " says Lily. "But if you could get married, who would it be to ( _To whom would it be? –Severus corrects_ )?"

"Oh, I don't know! Probably some handsome, charming man with a taste for romantics and a lovely—"

"Bank account?"

"No! I was going to say 'a lovely smile'!"

Lily smiles viciously, but it's still the most beautiful thing Severus has ever seen. "So definitely not  _Mr._ Vernon Dursley, then?"

Severus laughs quietly (he's met Vernon and he's an idiot) as they pass his house. He leans a little more out of the window so he can see them through the branches of the tree below.

Petunia purses her lips as though she's just swallowed a lemon and yells, " _Lily_! Don't say mean things like that! Vernon is a nice and chivalrous man who just happens to come from a wealthy family, but that's not the reason I like him!"

"Oh?" Lily says. "Why do you like him?"

Petunia blushes and mutters something under her breath that only she and Lily hear. Lily laughs and Petunia glares at her.

"You shouldn't be talking! You might have hundreds of boys chasing you, but the only one you truly deserve is that greasy haired git, Severus Snape!"

Severus' smile drops from his face. How do they know him? And why does she think he's a git? He never did anything—or said anything, for that matter—to her!

Lily defends him, though. "Petunia! You don't even know him! How could you say that about him?"

"Have you  _seen_ him, Lily?" asks Petunia. "He always sneers at us as though he thinks he's better than us, even though he never bathes and lives with those creepy, fighting parents."

He bathes!

"I'm sure he does bathe, Tuny. He's probably just lonely since no one ever talks to him and he lives in that huge house back there. I'm sure he's a nice boy," says Lily. Severus blushes at her praise. She must be the nicest person ever! She doesn't even know him and she's defending him.

Petunia just sighs doubtfully. Now, she and Lily are five houses away from him and nearing the end of his sight. He leans a little more out the window.

_CREAK._

Oh dear. Severus loses his balance on the chair and leans forwards. The windowsill is his only purchase and it's made of sharp metal. He grabs it, but his hands slip on the blood when it punctures his palms. He finds himself leaning further and further and seeing them better and better, but then he falls.

He swoops down before hitting the spindly branches of the tree beneath his window. He falls through the thick needles, hitting a couple branches particularly hard, and lands on the hard ground below. His back is throbbing and his arms and legs feel like they're going to fall off, not to mention his head, which feels like a bludger target.

"Did you hear something?" asks Lily to Petunia, and Severus barely hears anything because they're so far away now.

"Nope," Petunia says. "Come on, Lily. Father said we have to be home by dinner."

"I'll race you there!" says Lily.

"No!"

"Please?" Lily pleads.

Petunia sighs. "Fine…"

The two sisters begin to run as Severus stumbles onto the street, desperate to see the girl with the flowing red hair once more. He groans and he jolts his bruises, but keeps walking to the middle of the street; he's had worse than this before. He looks up the road to the girls, and can only see one. It's Lily.

She hears a moan and stops running and turns around. Was there someone behind her?

There is. He's a little short and has long, greasy, and black hair. She meets his eyes and sees a dark, swirling abyss of dreadful emotions. The moment only lasts for a second ( _a beautiful second,_ thinks Severus) because Petunia calls for Lily.

"Lily! What is it?" she asks. Lily's the one who wanted to race anyway.

Lily turns away to reassure her sister.

"Nothing!" she says, looking back one more time before running after her sister.

Severus stares after her and realizes something that only makes him like her more.

Her eyes are green.

 


End file.
